Austin Weekend Guide: October 9-11

It is ACL Weekend 2, which means Zilker is loaded and the rest of the city is working around it. If you have a wristband, this guide has your plan. If you do not, there is plenty happening that does not involve a shuttle line.

ACL Fest Weekend 2: What Changed

Weekend 2 runs Friday Oct 9 through Sunday Oct 11 at Zilker Park. Gates are noon to 10 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The big change is Friday. Kings of Leon replace Skrillex in the T-Mobile Stage closing slot at 8:15 p.m., and they play Weekend 2 only. Charli XCX closes the American Express Stage at 8:40 p.m., so you are choosing between the two. Skrillex and Brandon Flowers were Weekend 1 only, and CMAT was cut from Weekend 2.

Saturday is Lorde on T-Mobile at 8:15 p.m. against Rufus Du Sol on American Express at 8:30 p.m. Sunday is The xx on T-Mobile and Twenty One Pilots on American Express, both at 8:30 p.m. The lead-ins are where the real decisions are. Friday has Turnstile and Labrinth, Saturday has Bleachers and Lola Young, and Sunday has Geese, Parcels, SOFI TUKKER and The War on Drugs. Set times can shift, so confirm in the official ACL app before you commit.

Weekend 1 was a wet one, with heavy rain turning the park into mud, so Weekend 2 crowds may arrive better prepared. I could not confirm a Weekend 2 forecast, so check one Friday morning. There is no parking at Zilker during the festival. Use the shuttle, a rideshare or your legs, and plan to leave before the final song if you want a short line.

Saturday Morning Pick

Go to the SFC Farmers Market downtown at Republic Square. It runs Saturday mornings from roughly 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and it is a short walk from the Red River crowds, not the Zilker ones. Get there by 9:30 and you will skip the worst of the stroller traffic. Grab coffee, a kolache or a breakfast taco from a stand, then walk the stalls once before you buy anything. Bring cash for the smaller vendors.

Brunch Worth the Wait

Juan in a Million on East Cesar Chavez is the old reliable. Order the Don Juan, a huge breakfast taco with potato, egg, bacon and cheese. Weekend waits tend to run 30 to 45 minutes, and the line moves faster than it looks. Go before 9 a.m. or after 1 p.m. Expect a loud, friendly room and plenty of regulars. Confirm hours before you head out, since festival weekends can change things.

Live Music This Weekend

Friday, Mohawk has Plini with Night Verses and Portraits at 7 p.m. If you want something smaller, the Continental Club on South Congress has The Blues Specialists at 6:30 p.m. and SOULHAT at 10 p.m. Saturday, Wave to Earth plays ACL Live at the Moody Theater at 8:15 p.m. Also Saturday, the Austin Latin Rock Fest at Flamingo Cantina on East 6th has Fabulosos Decadentes and Sera Cero. Doors are at 8:30 p.m., the show starts at 9:30, and tickets are $13 in advance or $18 at the door. It is 21 and up. I could not find posted prices for the Mohawk, Continental or ACL Live shows, so check each venue before you go. The official ACL Nights shows at Stubb's, Antone's, Emo's and 3TEN are a separate ticket from the festival wristband.

Sunday Chill

The Mueller Farmers Market runs Sunday mornings, usually 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and it is the easiest low-effort plan of the weekend. Walk the lake loop, get a coffee, split a pastry on the grass. It is also far from Zilker, so you can skip the festival traffic entirely. If you are coming off two nights of ACL, this is the reset.

Local Hidden Gem

Africa Night at Sahara Lounge on Saturday starts at 7 p.m. with Zoumountchi, the Sahara Allstars and an Afro Jazz set. It is a neighborhood room on the east side that most festival visitors will never find. Prices were not posted, so bring a few bills for the door and ask about food. Get there early if you want a seat near the band.

ATX Weekly App Tip

💡 ATX Weekly Tip: Open the events calendar in the ATX Weekly app and check tonight and Saturday before you leave the house. It is the fastest way to find a show with doors tonight, especially when ACL has everyone else crowded onto the same few venues.